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Orioles recall Arrieta from Triple-A Norfolk

Orioles recall Arrieta from Triple-A Norfolk

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles recalled right-hander Jake Arrieta on Friday, a corresponding roster to the optioning of rookie Kevin Gausman to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday night.

Arrieta will provide a boost to the bullpen after six relievers combined to pitch 7 2/3 innings in the Orioles' 13-inning win over the Red Sox on Thursday night.

"It's his day to pitch, [we] needed some length out there, and Jake fit for us," manager Buck Showalter said. "We'll see what the next couple of days bring."

Arrieta was already on the 40-man roster, and he was the most rested option available with the ability to pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen. In 36 innings over six starts and one relief appearance for Norfolk, he is 3-3 with a 5.50 ERA.

One of the other top candidates for a callup, Zach Britton, pitched on Monday. Other options in the Tides' bullpen have either struggled recently or are not considered multi-inning relievers.

Something that could also play into the shuffling of the pitching staff is that the wife of Miguel Gonzalez -- who is scheduled to pitch on Sunday -- is due to give birth on Wednesday. With the unpredictable nature of the situation, though, Arrieta or someone else may be needed as a fill-in.

Arrieta last pitched for the Tides on Sunday, when he allowed seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. He last appeared in a Major League game on April 21, taking the loss in a four-inning start against the Dodgers.

Showalter said if Thursday's game hadn't gone into extra innings, the team wouldn't have optioned Gausman. He keeps a close eye on the available arms at Norfolk.

"As we get to the ninth and 10th [innings], I'm looking at the card we carry with what [Norfolk's] usage had been. So we knew we had some options available and we knew that Jake's day fell there. So you're actually managing that game knowing what you're going to do after that game with Gausman," Showalter said.

Derek Wetmore is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.